The Inspiring Hodgepodge...

It is once again time for Wednesday Hodgepodge, that fun time of the week when you can find out more about your blogging buddies, or even make new ones. If you would like to join in stop over by Joyce at From This Side of the Pond, where you can get this weeks prompt questions, but first you need to read my answers and leave a comment so I can know you have been here. Go ahead you know you want to.


And here it is:


1. Do you like your name? Were you named after someone? If you have children how did you settle on their names?


I can remember hating my name when I was a kid, I grew up in Chicago, and you never heard the name Nelda or Nel. I wanted a common name, you know like Debbie or Susan or Cathy; typical we are never happy with what we have. Then to top it off they found it in a newspaper, of all things, so who knows who I was named after or what kind of person they were. All kidding aside, I have grown quite accustomed to my name and cannot imagine being named anything else.


Now as most of you know I have only one daughter. Janice’s dad and I made a deal if the baby was a boy I would name him and a girl he would name her, only because he did not like the name I wanted for a little girl and I did not want a boy to be named Jr. So Janice Oleane it was, she has my middle name. She was glad we made that deal or she would have been Emily Suzanne, and she did never liked the sound of that, however I did talk her into naming one of her dolls that. lolol


2. How do you define success?


There are so many definitions of success. But to me success has nothing to do with financial standing, however this does help. Success is being happy with who you have become and who you are. Success is having family and friends that mean the world to you. Success is trying to make a difference in your own life or the lives of others. Success is putting your head on your pillow at night and knowing if you do not wake up in the morning, you are all right, and your family knows you are all right and where you will spend eternity. That's success!


3. Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy?


Wheel of Fortune I love those kind of games.


4. If you could own any single object that you don't have now, what would that object be?


Ohhhh! An Embroidery Sewing Machine hands down, no question about it! What I could do with one of those!


5. What is something that inspires you?


A lot of things inspire me, but nothing like a beautiful sunset with all the different colors rolling in the clouds, such a beautiful picture in the canvas of our life. I also love the trees blooming in spring and a soft breeze blowing. Get out the camera, I am ready!


6. Meatloaf-yea or nay? If its a yay how do you make yours?


Not so much… I never was big on meat loaf, I think because I had it so much when I was a kid.


7. Which is more admirable-the ability to organize and be methodical or the ability to adapt and make do?


I think the ability to adapt and make do. Life is not always easy and to be able to pick yourself up and brush yourself off and not wallow in self pity is a very admirable quality in my book!


8. Insert your own random thought here.

I had mentioned chocolate gravy a couple weeks ago, Joyce asked about it, so I thought I would share my recipe. I can remember when I was a kid all my friends loved spending the night at my house cause my mom would make chocolate gravy and biscuits for breakfast. My daughter loves it and my grandson always asks for it. It is definitely a southern dish; sometimes you can find it listed on the menu, especially at a small mom and pop’s restaurant. It is served with biscuits; you can either break your biscuit up in pieces or split it open. This picture I found online, my chocolate is usually a little thicker that this. If you never have had it and you like chocolate, give it a try, my husband thought I was nuts, but when I make it for the kids he definitely eats his share. Here it is:

Chocolate Gravy
4 Tbsp cocoa     2 cups milk
4 Tbsp flour      1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar


I use self-rising flour. Put cocoa, flour and sugar in saucepan. Mix well. Add milk and cook stirring well to get the lumps out and to mix well. Cook until desired thickness; it will get a little thicker as it cools. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Serve over biscuits. Some people like a little butter or margarine added individually, we like ours without the extra. Nothing like homemade chocolate and biscuits! Hope you enjoy if you are brave enough to try.


until next time… nel